Weston steals the show as Cuckfield beat newly-promoted Mayfield

Joe Ludlow and Billy Meboroh-Collinson opened up for Cuckfield and hit the ground running taking the score to 55 in the first 10 overs. It wasn’t to last though as Meboroh-Collinson was bowled for 21 by Steven Harman and then Ludlow trapped lbw by Emmerson Wood.

At 59 for 2, Tom Weston and Ben Candfield set about building on the foundation that had been laid. Weston played what can only redescribed as the perfectly paced innings for the 1-day format, his first 50 coming from 69 balls, his second from 33 balls and his third from 25 balls as he racked up 159 not out including 19 fours and 4 sixes.

Candfield also passed 50 as the pair put on 172 before he was caught in the deep by Rob Raymond off the bowling of Matt Cooke for 59. The Cuckfield innings closed on 316 for 5 after 48 overs (reduced due to a rain break). Cooke took 2-68 and Wood 2/81.

The Mayfield reply was quickly blunted as Weston dismissed Raymond, caught behind, and then Gayler effected his first run out for Cuckfield to dismiss Harry Lloyd, leaving the home side 16 for 2. Wickets fell regularly and in spite of hail and rain reducing the overs and target (257 from 39 overs) Cuckfield bowled Mayfield out for 157 in 33 overs. There were two wickets each for Josh Hayward, Nick Patterson, Jamie Hutchings and Meboroh-Collinson. The biggest partnership of the Mayfield innings of 47 came from James Allen (20) and Steven Harman (31). Cuckfield host Three Bridges next week.

Cuckfield 2nd XI beat St James by 9 wickets at home as debutant George Mercer took 5/18, including a wicket with his first ball for Cuckfield. Cuckfield won the toss and elected to bowl first and the openers Russell Piper and Adam Taylor both got starts.

Taylor became Mercer’s first victim caught by Sam Candfield for 27 and then Mercer dismissed number 3 and 4 leaving the visitors 55 for 3. Piper (24) then fell lbw to Chris Osbourne before Mercer dismissed two more in quick succession with the score 61 for 6. Mike Edmonds hit 14 not out as the tail was cleaned up by Candfield, Robinson and Semmens to leave St James 82 all out in 22 overs.

Cuckfield lost one wicket in the reply, Greg Wisdom lbw to Edmonds for 23, but Nathan Buckeridge (34*) and Will Rossiter (15*) steered the home side to victory in the 17th over.

Cuckfield 3rd XI v St Andrews 1st XI

St Andrews won the toss and elected to bowl first at Sydney West. Jeremy Crampton and Tommy Watson opened the batting and took the score to 25 before Crampton was bowled by Daniel Nichols for 9. This began a procession of wickets as the visitors lost another 5 wickets for just 21 runs, leaving them 46 for 6. This brought Luke Forster and James Buckeridge together and then pair put on 36 before Forster was run out for 14. Buckeridge made 23 as Cuckfield were bowled out for 111 in the 39th over. Nichols took 3/8 and JJ Davies 3/21.

In the St Andrews reply, Goff Baker took the only wicket, that of Adam Hills for 23 as James Hayden-Smith (54*) and Nick Elkins (21*) took the home side to victory in the 20th over.

Cuckfield 4th XI v Dormansland 2nd XI

Debutant under 13, Ellis Buckeridge, scored an unbeaten 50 and took his first wicket in adult league cricket to help Cuckfield to victory by 66 runs. Dormansland won the toss and elected to bowl first at Cuckfield. After losing an early wicket to Ollie Hollman, the Richards, Black and Loveridge set the pace until Loveridge was caught by his teammate sub-fielding for 36 off the bowling of Dale Whitford. Whitford took two more quick wickets before Buckeridge joined Black and settled things down again. Black was stumped off Alasdair Murray for 72, but Buckeridge carried his bat for 54* and Guy Dixon hit 33* to help the home side to 247 for 6 after 40 overs. Whitford took 3/38 and Holman 2/55.

Mike Mullins and Nick Hellier opened up the reply for Dormansland, but when Mullins fell for 32, caught behind off the bowling of Glenn Smith, more wickets came. Hellier batted though for 101 not out, but the visitors fell 66 runs short at 181 for 5 from their 40 overs.